The Armenian Church of the Holy Nazareth
Kolkata is the land of great historicity and you find some of the best places to visit at the destination. Among the places to visit you have the Armenian Church of the Holy Nazareth. The same is even known as the Armenian Apostolic church. You find the same located at the North West side of Barabazar. The church is known as the Mother Church of the Indian based Americans. This is the most primitive church in the history of Kolkata. The church was built in the year 1724 and the same was constructed with the efforts of Agha Nazar and this was replicated for the church that was destroyed by fire previously.
The Inert Beauty of the Church
The Americans have entered India as traders and they were in need of a religious altar and here lies the essence of the Armenian Church of the Holy Nazareth. The inside of the edifice is decorated with marble. You have a straight staircase that will take you to the main gallery section. The walls of the church are adorned with all exemplary paintings and frescos. The church has the altar area and here you can find the cross. There are more things like the Gospel Text, and the twelve candle sticks and this symbolizes the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. Once you near the altar you will find the famous painting by the English artist AE Harris. These are the paintings of the Holy Trinity, the Last Supper and The Enshrouding of Our Lord. You can see old American cemetery remnants in various Church compartments. At the time of 20th Century the church became a place for the people for the Russian diaspora and this made possible the Russian Orthodox Church services.
Pointing on the History
This is regarded as one of the oldest church in Kolkata. The church was established by the American community before the British came to India. At that point of time there was a small wooden church built by the people of the east India Company. This happened in the year 1688. However, due to a fire incident the wooden church was destroyed and the place was grandly occupied by the Armenian Church of the Holy Nazareth. An American architect is responsible for the interior décor of the church and he is known by the name of Katchik Arfiel. The architect gave the church the wonderful church clock and this enhanced the look of the place. In addition to this once you take a look at the several parts of the church you can find a separate monastery for the priests. There is even a huge cemetery with high walls within the premises of the church. You find a graveyard of the American church and this is the oldest graveyard in Kolkata. Here you find the grave of the Armenian woman and she is named as Reza Beebe and she was buried in the year 1630. The compound is small and well maintained and here you can also see an erected monument in memory of the innumerable Americans who lost their lives at the time of the First World War. It is a great privilege to be at the site and discover the historical excellence of Old Kolkata.